Electronic devices continue to become more prevalent in day-to-day activities. For example, smart phones, tablet computers and electronic devices continue to grow in popularity and provide everyday personal and business functions to its users. These electronic devices may include housings to protect the internal components of the device. Additionally, the electronic device typical includes a cover glass for protecting a display of the device. The display may be utilized by the user to interact (e.g., through input/output operations) with the electronic device and/or receive information therefrom.
The use of ceramic-based materials, and specifically, the crystalline form of alumina (Al2O3) (e.g., corundum), commonly known as sapphire, may be used to form the housing and/or cover glass of the electronic device. With improved manufacturing processes of single crystal sapphire and the improved functional characteristics (such as hardness and strength) of sapphire, sapphire may be an acceptable replacement material for conventional housings or cover glass. However, the same chemical/elemental characteristics that make sapphire an often superior material choice over glass may also make the manufacturing of sapphire difficult. That is, due to sapphire's hardness, processing or shaping sapphire may be difficult.
For example, where the sapphire display includes curved or non-planar surfaces, conventional polishing techniques and processes may fall short of providing an adequate or desired polish on the curved or non-planar surfaces of the sapphire. Furthermore, small channels (e.g., recesses, through holes, and the like) formed through the sapphire component may be difficult to adequately polish using conventional polishing processes. Where the sapphire component is substantially thin to help reduce the overall size and weight of the electronic device, a conventional polishing process, such as diamond mechanical polishing (DMP), may also be too harsh on the sapphire component, and may potentially damage the sapphire.